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Been gone so long.

Here I am… I have not died. One the contrary, I have started my life for realzies. Since my last post, I have graduated from college and gotten a (semi permanent) teaching job here in Texas. I am loving my life right now.

I would have to say that what is guiding me these days has been this simple verse:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for we know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

Now I know, “ooh look at me I’m a real teacher now and I think what I do is the most important thing in the universe” But really. God is challenging me on the subject of seriousness. I believe that when I started this college thing I had a pretty good grip on the importance of education, but over my studies I have become distracted by the easiness of mechanics and practicalities. It’s much simpler to create lesson plans and integrate grammar instruction into literary analysis. And, necessary though it is, that is not why I teach.

I teach because I must share. I must share my passion, I must share my knowledge, I must share my insight… I must share my love. I love my content area, and I love teaching, and that’s good. God gave me that as a tool. But my real purpose is to love my students. I love the relationships I have built and I love that I can speak into their lives.

And given the recent seriousness of school security issues, it is imperative that I waste not one moment pouring into my students. Every day becomes a new wake up call for me. If my students don’t knowhow to discern a literary motif, I will be sad, and I will try harder. But if my students don’t know that I love them, and that God loves them more, I will be heartbroken, and I will weep for the missed opportunity.

When I graduated, I wrote a letter to my old English teacher thanking him for the impact he had on my life. And his response? He was humbled that God used him to change the course of my life. It reminded me that there is a much bigger thing going on than reading the Red Badge of Courage.

I pray that as I learn and grow in my new career that I will always remember the significance of the charge placed on my life. And I pray that as you read this, you will pray with me to change the course of at least a few students’ lives. I love you dearly, friends.

Come In, Come In!

“If you are a dreamer come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hoper a pray-er a magic-bean-buyer
If you're a pretender come sit by my fire
For we have some flax golden tales to spin
Come in!
Come in!”